I'm writing on behalf of a friend who purchased a home with a Culligan water softener. Home is about 15 years old. Only markings found so far show Aqua Sensor.
At this point she has never touched it. I'm assuming, hopefully correct, that the system has been in bypass mode the entire time.
Most of the instructions I've found so far relate to new installations. Concern here is how best to restart a unit that has been out of service for at least 6 months? As I have never been in a home with a softener all this is new to me.
Hopefully restarting is a straightforward task. Otherwise if recommended we'll have no qualms contacting Culligan for a service call.
That like the others I saw really doesn't address what a home owner should or should not do when restarting a water softener that hasn't been used for months.
What do you expect to find? Fill the brine tank with salt. set the controls, open valves as needed. Check the water for hardness. It may have to go through a regeneration cycles to soften properly.
uld or should not do when restarting a water softener that hasn't been used for months.
Having never owned a water softener I'm being cautious. In the automotive world when a vehicle is being reactivated most recommendations include chan ging the oil and filter, brake and steering fluids, and often flushing the cooling systems. Also common is to inspect the gas tank and replace a fuel filter. All various steps to ensure the user doesn't risk causing new dam age.
Is there any analogy with water softening systems? Should things be flushe d first, emptied, lubricated, etc? Or is it as simple as confirm enough sa lt is in the tank, check control panel settings, and open the bypass valve?
I've owned and installed water softeners in my own home for ~ 40 years. Pretty straightforward. In your case there are no fuel filters, lube points, etc.
Flushing? Sure thing. Does this unit take salt pellets or rock salt - big difference and something you definitely want to know before refilling the brining tank. The other thing to consider is a "reconditioning agent" (or a rose by any other name). Morton Salt makes one with a chemical added to the pellets that "cleans" the mineral bed and system. There are also bottles of same which can be selectively added to brine tank during the recharge cycle to accomplish the same thing. Note: I had a bad experience using the Morton product (all the time). The chemical added produced fumes that eventually attacked the Delrin gears in the water softener control head and I wound up have to replace the whole damn thing. I think it was more of a design defect (Sears Kenmore with softener tank, controls and brining tank all in one unit.).
I would clean it (brine tank) out as best I could, fill it with the correct salt type.
I would then run it through two or three recharge cycles just to get the "old" water out of the mineral bed. And I would do this in rapid succession.
I would then TEST the softened water for hardness and iron content and make sure the softener's controls were properly set so you don't run out of hard water. The newer models (and higher end) do not recharge on a set schedule. You simply input the water hardness level and a microcomputer in the control unit monitors water usage and recharges automatically. Thus, if you go on vacation and don't use any water for three weeks, the unit will not recharge (as there's no need). When you're home and hardness/capacity/usage combine to require a recharge every six days that's what you get. If the kids come to visit and suddenly you're doing two extra loads of wash and there are seven showers every morning and two baths at night, the softener may regenerate every night. Easy-Peasy!
No. If it weren't for recharging, water softeners would be extremely simple. Just a tank that the water goes through that chemically attracks calcium in order to soften the water. The recharge makes it more complicated, but if it just sitting there not being used and on bypass, it should be fine. All the valves to is flush salt water through the tank which causes the calcium that has built up to go down the drain. The tank is then flushed with fresh water and returned to service. There is no oil or coolant like a car. It may or may not work depending on how long it has been idle. If it hasn't been on bypass, then the tank might be clogged up. Regardless, running it won't cause any additional damage. Good luck.
You will know if it is working when you take a shower. Instead of rinsing to a slightly sticky feeling, you will feel like you haven't quite rinsed the soap off. You will get used to that feeling when you realize you have rinsed well and that is just what soft water feels like.
Take it out of bypass mode by pushing a button or turning knobs. I'd just make sure there is salt in the tank and start recharge cycle. As it fills the hot water tank with softened water owner will see when taking shower or washing dishes. And hope unit is not unplugged. It may need to be programmed. No owners manual with the unit?
Probably a visit to your Culligan Man is required for this - but talk to him after you read-up on the model in-question. If you begin the conversation by buying a bag of salt - you might get some free advice - as you would then be a loyal customer ! Just walking in and taking up his valuable time for free advice, might only get you a service appointment .. There was some good advice posted here - but I didn't see mention of checking the float switch. And I wouldn't assume that the unit was in by-pass .... modern metered units shouldn't re-generate during extended periods of no usage Good luck. John T.
Went ahead and bought a 50lb bag of salt. Restarted and encountered no problems. Ran the regeneration 3 times in 3 days. So far so good.
Now I just need to read up on optimum settings. Seems the water used by the regeneration cycles is quite a bit more than anticipated. Total usage is now 3 times that before activating the softener.
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